Crashed CHAPTER 5

"Rouge? What are you doing?" Blaze emerged from her room wearing her pajamas. Her definition of pajamas included wearing a sports bra and the shortest shorts possible.

I was still on the floor, squeezing my legs to my chest. I had been sitting here for almost an hour, thinking and thinking. I couldn't shake the guilty feeling. How can something as simple as a dream affect you so much?

"Did it go that badly?" Blaze questioned, sitting on the floor next to me. "When you texted me about a boy, I figured I'd be coming out here to find you guys already doing it on the counter."

I chuckled. "Thanks for assuming I'd already be on his dick after one date." I flung my hands in the air. "It wasn't even really a date! I just showed him around town."

"But he was cute, wasn't he?" Blaze's ears perked up. "I thought he'd—Well I that you'd have at least kissed him."

I thought about that for a minute. I almost kissed him, but that damn hedgehog stopped me from doing it. He wasn't even there!

Telling Blaze and having her thinking I'm crazy was something I did not want, however. "He obviously was attracted to me and all… He almost kissed me, but I pushed him away. It was just too soon."

The cat seemed to ponder that for a moment. She almost seemed frustrated. "Well, it's your decision. But I think it'd be good for you to have a man in your life."

Having "a man" in my life? I never cared for it. I didn't need a boyfriend to survive. "I'll think about it."

Her face brightened into a smile. "That's great, Rouge!"

I didn't want to damper her enthusiasm. "Go back to bed, Blaze. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She responded with a nod, and pushed herself off of the floor. "You need to get to bed too, missy."

I watched her walk away, thinking about the way she was just acting. Why was she so excited for me to get with Knuckles? She was so disappointed when I told her I didn't kiss him.

Lying in bed, I stared up at the ceiling. I was afraid to sleep.

I felt extremely tired, but more mentally exhausted if anything. What if I keep thinking about that hedgehog whenever Knuckles decides to make a move? What if I never get the image of those eyes out of my head?

I had only met the guy once, and he's causing me so much trouble!

I rolled over, milling my thoughts. I should apologize to Knuckles tomorrow. He said he started work at the pizza place next door tomorrow, right? I'd set it all straight. I did like him, and maybe we could be something bigger.

I just need to give myself a little more time.

…

"You and her just can't interact. You have to understand that!" Silver was pushing against the ebony hedgehog's chest, seething with anger and frustration.

"I don't get it. She's the only one who has talked to me, well, besides you." He growled, baring his teeth. "You can't control me."

I was witnessing some sort of fight between Silver and the mysterious hedgehog that has recently been showing up in all of my dreams. It was heated, and the tension was obvious. Silver almost seemed to hate him.

Well, that makes two of us.

"I have to find out what's going on. Why I hear her voice and can't see her."

"You can't, Shadow, you just can't. You don't understand the consequences of your actions."

Shadow. His name is Shadow.

"You just show up out of nowhere, telling me I'm supposed to listen to you, and acting like I'm going to magically obey!?" Shadow stepped closer to Silver, baring his teeth. The two were almost the exact same height. "The world doesn't work that way."

"God you're so ignorant!" Silver started to float, surrounded by a blue aura.

I did not know he could do that.

But, then again, this is just a dream.

"You won't even tell me what these 'consequences' you speak of are." Shadow yelled, staring up at Silver.

Silver seemed to understand, falling back to his feet. "Shadow I… I can't tell you."

Shadow lunged a fist at Silver.

I woke up before it came into contact with his face.

…

"Rouge, you seem awfully distracted today." Cream waves a hand in my face. "Are you alright?"

I shake my head, turning my body so my back is leaning against the counter. "Didn't sleep too well last night."

"Aw. Why not?" Cream wipes off a glass, setting it to the side. I was about to leave, since we were closing.

"I just couldn't. My mind was whirring all night." I tilted my head back to stare at the ceiling.

"And why is that?" Knuckles.

I turned to have his purple eyes stare into mine. His mouth pulled into a smile. "I hope I didn't keep you up all night."

Well, you kinda did. I mean… Shadow did…

My mind spun with images of last night. We were just having innocent fun, and I ruined it when he tried to kiss me.

And then there's Shadow.

Shadow, Shadow, Shadow.

"You didn't."

"I just thought I'd come in to say hi after work. Are you out yet? We can grab dinner or something." He suddenly catches himself, as if he just said something wrong. "I-I mean, if it's not too soon to go out again."

He comes closer, and the smell of onions fills my nose. The orange shirt and khaki pants he's wearing are honestly very unappealing. "Possibly, as long as it's not pizza. You stink."

"Oh shit, sorry. I forgot how the smell of the food sticks to you." Knuckles took a step back, sniffing his shirt.

"It's alright. I have coffee smell." I stepped away from the counter, untying my apron.

"Well, you smell sweet. Not something that normally makes someone cry." He reached for my hand, and I let him take it. "I guess we'll make mixed smells together."

I pulled out my phone to tell Blaze I didn't need a ride, and waved goodbye to Cream as we walked out the door together.

Knuckles pulled me to him as soon as we were outside.

"Knuckles I—"

"I'm just hugging you. Don't worry." Knuckles chuckled, squeezing me tighter. "Is it weird that I missed you?"

"Knuckles, I need to talk to you. I think you need to just… slow down a bit."

"But Rouge," He came closer to my face, resting his palm on my cheek.

He kissed me.

Those red eyes flashed behind my eyelids, over and over.

I opened my eyes, and I saw him. Shadow.

I blinked. I blinked again. It was still him. When he talked, it was his voice.

I gripped my ears and backed away, trying to decipher if what I was seeing was real. Which is reality? I kept backing up, ignoring Shadow's voice. Ignoring the visions of Shadow's being replacing his.

"What the fuck is happening to me!?" I screamed, trying to drown out all the noises around me.

"Rouge! Pay attention!"

I turned, blinded by bright lights.

Not again. Please not again.

Next thing I know, I'm on the ground pinned under Knuckles. A truck zips by.

"What the hell were you doing!?" He lifts me up with him. "Was kissing me really that bad? You had to back up into the road and almost get hit by a speeding truck!?"

"Knuckles, it's not you I—"

"Stop. I get it." He moves away from me, shaking his head. The hurt was evident in his eyes. "You were just telling me to slow down, and I kissed you. But I'm not someone who likes to wait. We obviously had a connection."

I scrambled to keep up when he speed-walked away, grabbing onto his arm. "It's not like I don't like you. I just… wanted to get to know you first."

"Sure, Rouge. I'll see you tomorrow." He climbs into his car, and speeds away before I can say anything else.

I wasn't angry. I wasn't even sad.

I was confused. I was tortured. "Can one good thing happen to me!? One good thing!"

I fell to my knees, ignoring the scratches the hard concrete just gave me. Staring up at the sky, I shoved my hands through my hair, gripping it and pulling at it. "Mom, I miss you. I don't care what you did, you were still my mom, and I'd give anything to talk to you right now."

Even though she was gone most nights living her life as a prostitute, she was still sweet to me. She still cared about me.

But she's still dead…

"What are you doing?"

I jumped up and whirled around. I screamed.

"Whoa, I'm not trying to murder you, calm down." Shadow's hands came up in mock-surrender.

"What do you want!?" I back up, smacking against the tree that shades the parking lot.

"Don't hurt yourself." He comes closer, staring me in the eyes.

"Are you… real?" I reach for his face, but he backs away.

"Why would you ask something like that?" His eyebrow rises as he tilts his head.

Because I'm crazy. I've met you once, only once, and you've already managed to drive me insane. I tilted my head back sighed. "Tonight's just been… weird."

Shadow followed my gaze up to the star-dotted sky. "And why's that?"

"Nothing I want to talk to you about."

"Alright, so you do hate me." He stated bluntly.

"I never said that."

"But it's true."

"Maybe."

Shadow shoved his hands in his pockets. Is that even actually his name? I just assumed… my dream… "So why are you out here by yourself crying for mommy at the sky?"

"Shut the fuck up. I don't want to talk to you." I was about to push past him, but he moved out of the way for me. "I don't think anyone would want to open up to someone who talks like you."

"Talks like me, huh?" The hedgehog followed me, and I could almost hear his smirk. "And what do I talk like?"

"Like an asshole. Now will you stop following me? I gotta go home." I pulled out my phone to tell Blaze plans were cancelled. I was in no flying mood.

But I dropped it when I turned back around and Shadow was right in my face. "But you never answered my question."

My heart raced at his closeness. "What question?"

"Why you're out here like this?" He gestured at the stray tear drying on my muzzle. "Something happened."

I stared down at my phone. The screen now had a crack spread across it. "Look what you did."

"You dropped it."

"You made me drop it."

I tried my hardest to avoid the eyes that have been haunting me since we met. "You still haven't answered me."

"I've only known this stupid guy for two days and he just saw that I'm actually crazy. He drove off and left me here. Happy?" I backed up again, but he was persistent and followed me, smirking the whole way.

"See? Now was that so hard?"

"You're fucking weird."

I can't believe this guy has to be the one I'm dreaming about. The one invading my every thought.

We found ourselves against a light post. "I guess so."

His intimidating stare stayed fixated on me. But I oddly felt comfortable. I knew he wouldn't do anything bad to me. Why did I feel like I wanted to fold myself into his arms suddenly? "Can you back up?"

"Only if you move forward."

Okay. That was smooth. "I answered your question. You don't have to bother me anymore."

He was a lot more flirtatious than the first time I met him. "I just want to make sure you're okay before I leave. I don't like seeing you cry, even though you were a bitch when we first met."

"I still am."

"Oh yeah?" He had a challenging look on his face.

"Yup. Now step back before I kick your balls." I glanced down and back up, trying to prove I wasn't afraid.

He didn't even flinch. "Go ahead, do it."

I closed my eyes, laughed, and thrusted my knee up, expecting it to come into contact with him. But my leg just flung out into open air.

Shadow was gone.